HOST, PETER GUNDERS: This is ABC Western and North West Queensland. Well, Senator Tim Ayres is the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and has been in these talks and joins me now. Good morning.

MINISTER TIM AYRES: Good morning. Good to talk to you and to your listeners.

HOST: Senator, when will we, as in the people of this area, be filled in on the answer?

AYRES: Well, I absolutely understand the anxiety in the Mount Isa community and across the surrounding region. This facility has a great history. It's a proud North West Queensland facility that's made a big contribution to Australia, to our industrial history and in my view and the view of the Queensland government, it's got a proud industrial future. We are engaged in discussions. From the moment that I was appointed to this role, I've been working with the Queensland government and my department to focus on the best interests of the region and in the national interest. We're going to keep working away on those details. Glencore, the current owner of the facility and the Queensland government and the Commonwealth are all at the table. That's a good thing. But I understand people want to see results.

HOST: Glencore has confirmed it's received the first joint support package. What is that package? Can you tell us?

AYRES: Well, I won't offer a running commentary on the details of the discussions and just want to explain why. It's not to frustrate you or your listeners in this interview, but it's because these are closely held negotiations that go to the commercial interests of the owner of the facility and the legitimate interests of the Commonwealth in the national interest in Queensland, in the Queensland interest here. It's not in the interest of those discussions to go through blow by blow the details of the conduct of the negotiations or the content of the negotiations. But the relevant parties are at the table. My message to everybody here is everybody at the table has got something to contribute. Queensland and the Commonwealth have been working very closely and effectively together. I'm very grateful for the, for the way that the Queensland government has approached this set of discussions. We've all approached it in a disciplined way in the public interest and we're going to keep at the table. Glencore's got a role to play here too, to invest in the future of this facility. The outcome of these discussions is uncertain. I don't want to gild the lily here. It's uncertain, but we are focused on this in the national interest and in the interest of North West Queensland.

HOST: Is the Government considering taking a stake in the actual infrastructure itself.

AYRES: Well, as I've said, I don't want to rule in or rule out particular approaches here. What I want to see is a sustainable future for this facility. Not just about the next few months or the next 12 months. I want to see a sustainable future for the facility that locks in future investment. It's important because of the jobs and industry it creates. But the facility is also important because it offers a service for other local miners. It's effectively a common user facility run by Glencore that other miners are able to access. So, that ore is processed onshore here in Australia. It's one of only two copper smelters in Australia, the other's BHP's Olympic Dam facility. The minerals and resources future of the region is bright, is strong, that's why we're at the table here working so closely with Queensland. I'm encouraged to see Glencore at the table engaging in the discussions in what is a constructive approach. The coming days and weeks are going to be crucial, of course, for the future of this facility. I understand Peta MacRae's point. I met with Peta the Mayor several times. Absolutely vital for the future of the town as well.

HOST: I mean, you said that the future in that industry is bright, residents in Mount Isa are saying they're feeling in limbo. Their house prices have gone down in the last couple of years while the rest of Queensland are certain certainly gone up. They're desperate to hear details so the city and everyone can move forward. So, what's the timeline then on when we'll find out what could happen, and can things get back to normal in inverted commas?

AYRES: Well, of course I understand that anxiety and uncertainty about the future of course makes that anxiety harder. I absolutely get that, absolutely understand it. That's why I was in Mount Isa just five or six weeks ago to meet with locals, to meet with Glencore. I've engaged directly with the local community about those questions. When I say the future's bright, what I mean is that the future of mineral resources, the capacity of that region is strong, future global markets are strong. But I absolutely understand that right now, now uncertainty about the future of this facility is driving that anxiety. It's a facility that's had a proud industrial past. It's made an enormous contribution to Australia. Glencore has done very well out of that facility and a range of its operations around Australia. Challenging times. Now, the responsibility is on all of the participants here to put in in the Queensland interest and in the Australian interest

HOST: Well, Senator Tim Ayres, we know you can't say too much because as you said, those negotiations are in confidence and are still happening. So, we do appreciate what you can tell us this morning. Thank you for your time.

AYRES: Appreciate the opportunity to have yarn about it, talk soon.